Means for strengthening glass windows



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

B. W. MORGAN & J. A. ANDERSON.

MEANS FOR STRENGTHENING GLASS WINDOWS.

No. 368,413. Patented Aug, 16, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. B. W. MORGAN & J. A. ANDERSON.

MEANS FOR STRENGTHENING GLASS WINDOWS.

No. 368,413. Patented Aug. 16, 1887.

UNITED STATES ATENT Cri ics.

BENNETT WV. MORGAN AND JOHN A. ANDERSON, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

MEANS FOR STRENGTHENING GLASS WINDOWS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,413, dated August 16, 1887.

Serial No. 228,840. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENNETT W. MORGAN and JOHN A. ANDERSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Strengthening Stained or Ornamental Glass Windows, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in means for strengthening stained or ornamental glass windows 5 and it consists ina certain novel device hereinafter fully described and claimed.

It is a well-known fact that stained or cathedral glass windows put in with lead strips are certain in time to bulge out or in, and eventually result in the displacement of some of the glasses forming the window. It has been the custom heretofore to extend iron rods across the window on the inside to prevent this bulging; but said rods only partially accomplish the purpose for which they are used, as the glass bulges between them. The reason of this bulging is well knownnamely, the lead, being very soft and very pliable and having little elasticity, is bent or stretched at the joints between the small sheets of glass by any pressure on the window-such as wind, &c.the heat also having the effect of twisting or dis torting the strips.

It is our object to provide means for so strengthening the said lead strips at the joints of the glass as to prevent all bending and twisting and maintain the sheets of the window in a perfect plane without the use of the unornamental iron bars. Ve attain these objects in the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a stainedglass window in which the lead strips are strengthened at the joints according to our improved method. Fig. 2 is a section through the window on the line 00 a: of Fig. 1, to show the manner of applying the strengthening-pieces. Fig. 3 shows detail views of a number of different forms, in which the strengthening-pieces may be made to suit all the situations in which they may be placed. Fig. 4 is a detail section through one of the lead strips and the braces on opposite sides thereof, to show the concavo-convex form thereof.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the glass of the window in small ornamental sheets, and B the lead strips connecting the said sheets of glass toform a continuous window or sash.

O designates small pieces or strips of stiff mctal-such as copper, brass, &e.secured to the said lead strips over each of the joints between the small sheets of glass on both sides of the window. These braces or strengthening-pieces are of concavoconvex form, and are placed with the concave side down, the said form giving them additional strength to resist a bending force, and the shape of the braces (namely, the number of the arms 0 and the angles at which said arms are placed to each other) is determined by the intended location of the said braces and the particular design of the window to which they are applied.

It is evident that the said braces maybe of any size and shape and may be formed of any stiff metal, and when applied to the window at the only points where there is any weakness-namcly, at the joints between the sheets of glassit is obvious that the said window will be rendered stiff and able to resist any ordinary strain or force which may be applied to bulge or bend it; also, by dispensing with the iron rods ordinarily placed across the window-the appearance of the said window is greatly improved, the said rods being very conspicuous and unornamental, while the narrow braces are scarcely visible, may be made very ornamental by polishing them, and have the importantadvantage ofexcludingnolightfrom the room.

The manner of securing the braces or strengtheningpieces to the lead strips is preferably by soldering them with the ordinary solder, such as is used to secure the ends of the lead strips together, (the braces being applied immediately after said strips are secured together,) although they may be secured in a variety of ways, such as riveting through the lead strips, 8:0.

Our improved strengthening-pieces will be found of great advantage in mending or strengthening old windows, as said braces may be applied while the window is in posit-ion.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that our improvement consists in the provlsion of means to support or strengthen the only weak part of a stained or cathedral glass window, and therefore renders the said kind of window-glass more desirable for general use, the bulging thereof being impossible, as the lead at the joints of the glass cannot bend.

It will be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the kind of metal of which these braces are made or the manner of fastening the same to the lead strips, as they may be fastened on in a variety of ways to accomplish the same result.

We claim- In a stained-glass window, the combination of the lead strips 13, convex on their outer convex in cross-section and provided with in- 20 teg'ral extending arms 0, bearing on the strips,

the said arms being adapted to the angles or corners of the j oints, substantially as described. In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures 2 5 in presence of two witnesses.

BENNETT W. MORGAN; JOHN A. ANDERSON.

XVit-nesses:

A. B. FELsEN'rHAL,

A. J. THOMPSON. 

